Electronic devices such as batteries, capacitors, and display devices continue their trend toward miniaturization and reduced weight. These electronic parts are always sealed with a resin-based adhesive such as a UV-setting resin or a rubber-based sealing material in the course of sealing the outer housing. These sealing methods, however, can lead to a decrease in the performance of the electronic parts because of moisture that passes through the sealing material during storage or use.
In particular, in the case of an organic electroluminescent device, when moisture infiltrates the interior, it can result in modification of the constituent materials or separation between the light-emitting layer and the electrode layer. This results in non-light-emitting regions known as dark spots, which are a serious problem in that they prevent the desired light emission performance from being obtained.
Accordingly, there have been various proposals for methods to remove infiltrating moisture by disposing a moisture-absorbent material within an organic electroluminescent device (such as Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications 2000-195660 and 2002-43055). A method for preventing a drop in the performance of an organic electroluminescent device by removing the gas that is generated from sealing adhesives has also been proposed (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication H11-74074).
Even with these approaches, however, it is still difficult to effectively prevent the occurrence of dark spots in organic electroluminescent devices, or to prevent the growth of dark spots that have already occurred, and there is room for improvement in this area.
Meanwhile, many electronic devices generate heat. For instance, in the case of an organic electroluminescent device, the majority of the electrical energy is converted into thermal energy, so excess heat is generated within the device. The amount of heat generated is particularly large with organic electroluminescent devices that increase surface brightness for illumination and other such applications, or with organic electroluminescent devices that display video graphics. If this heat builds up within an electronic device, the organic light emitting layer may deteriorate, which has an adverse effect on the service life of an organic electroluminescent device. It is therefore preferable for an electronic device to be made from materials that radiate heat as much as possible.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve these problems encountered with prior art and provide a material with which water can be easily and reliably removed. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a material for suppressing the formation of dark spots in organic electroluminescent devices, or for suppressing the growth of dark spots that do have occurred.